


Sort By: Best Match

by chaoticlivi



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Online Dating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-11 19:28:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticlivi/pseuds/chaoticlivi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Online dating AU. Neither of them has ever been interested in online dating, but here they both are. Thanks a lot, friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. click here to register

**Author's Note:**

> Ah so I've been thinking of writing something like this for a long time. I'm not sure it will be everyone's cup of tea, since this chapter in particular uses a lot of online chat format, but I hope someone enjoys. : ) Chapter 2 will be posted in the middle of the week, and chapter 3 on Valentine's Day.

Maka dubiously clicked the little heart icon that said “Register.”

She’d always refused to use online dating sites. She didn’t have anything against the idea, but she thought of it as something for other people. Online chat with strangers had never really been her cup of tea.

However, she had the most meddlesome friends on the face of the planet. Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki had pooled some money to buy her a one-year subscription to eResonance.net (“where hearts meet and souls resonate”) as a partial birthday present. She knew they wouldn’t be angry at her for ignoring the site - it hadn’t been a very expensive subscription and they were always good sports about her responses to their silly gifts - but she had to admit to feeling a bit curious.

Maka was prompted to enter a screenname. “This is a one-word pseudonym,” the mouseover on the site informed. “Your real name will not be released to any members before you decide it’s time. Choose something unique that describes you!” After some thought about her favorite words and hobbies, Maka decided to go with “TheBookmeister.” Much to her delight, the site preserved capitalization, the pseudonym was not taken, and she didn’t have to tack any numbers on to the end of it.

Half an hour later, she had answered 25 questions, some of which were the most invasive, personal questions she could imagine (“I think both partners should be willing to perform oral sex on each other”). Supposedly, her answers were meant to help the site find her ideal match, and if she was being completely honest, she enjoyed surveys, so she did her best. Some of the questions did not matter much to her (“my partner needs to have a schedule that matches mine”), but some made her wish there was an option beyond “strongly agree” (“cheating in a relationship is unforgivable”).

After the survey, she was asked to construct a profile.

_**TheBookmeister (23, F, Lanesborough)** _

_**Interested In:** Men_

_**Looking For:** Friendship, Dating, A serious relationship_

_**Hobbies:** There’s a lot of stuff I like to do, but reading is one of my absolute favorites! Novels are the best, but lately I’ve been getting more into nonfiction as well. I also like all kinds of puzzles (crossword, sudoku, jigsaw, even some games like Professor Layton). Going to museums is really fun too. I’ve always liked school a lot, so maybe that counts as a hobby. I’m not a shut-in, though! I love being with friends doing practically anything and also go jogging often._

_**Political Views:** Well, this is tricky. My family’s traditionally been pretty liberal, so I kind of lean toward that side. But I’d like to think I’m open-minded and I don’t get hung up on that kind of thing._

_**Career:** I’m a registered nurse right now, but thinking about going to grad school soon.._

_**My Ideal First Date:** Oooohhhh, maybe at a museum?_

_**My Ideal Partner:** Someone smart and kind. Especially someone with a talent. Being a good person is the most important part, though._

_**How I Would Describe Myself:** I don’t like questions like this! How do you answer them without sounding like a snob? But I guess I do think I’m pretty smart, and I’m definitely hardworking, and I’m a nice person. I do have a bit of a temper, but...I don’t think it’s a big deal._

_**One Thing You Should Know About Me:** I hate cheaters. Sorry to sound so negative, but it’s true._

Maka thought about adding a profile picture, which was strongly advised by the site, but that felt too revealing for her simple curious foray into the world of online dating. She also didn’t have any on her computer. Maybe she would try to find a good one later.

She scrolled up and down the list of names, supposedly organized by their goodness of fit to her, and considered sending a “wink” (the site’s conversational ice-breaker, apparently) just for fun, to see what people on this site were like. How quickly would they respond? Were any of these people even active? Would they find her interesting? There was no way to tell. Even though she shouldn’t have cared, she had to admit to feeling a bit of insecurity. Maybe they would read her profile and think she was boring, or maybe they’d be put off by her lack of a picture.

The very first (ostensibly “best”) match had a single mediocre picture, obviously taken through a cellphone camera. His screenname was pianomansharky, and he was a 24-year-old in a city about a two-hour commute from hers. Maka clicked on his profile.

_**pianomansharky (24, M, Boston)** _

_**Interested In:** Women_

_**Looking For:** Friendship, Dating, A serious relationship_

_**Hobbies:** piano, movies, hanging out with friends, basketball, internet_

_**Political Views:** i dont really like talking about politics_

_**Career:** foodservice, college, music_

_**My Ideal First Date:** concert_

_**My Ideal Partner:** just a cool person i guess. someone who likes my music._

_**How I Would Describe Myself:** i don’t know. pretty cool i think. i don’t talk too much and i’m not bad at piano. people say i’m funny._

_**One Thing You Should Know About Me:** don’t pay attention to the screenname_

He hadn’t been thorough at all in his answers. There was something reluctant about him, which naturally made her want to learn why. Why even use this site if you didn’t give a crap? Unless, of course, he was doing the same thing she was… But anyway, how exactly are “movies” and “internet” hobbies?

She looked more closely at his picture and it appeared to be very candid. He was a unique-looking person lying on a bed with a mix of annoyance and mild surprise on his face. His white hair was mussed about, and the camera must have used a flash because he had a severe case of redeye.

But in a way, he was sort of cute in his strangeness.

Maka’s curiosity - about the site, at least - was sated; she didn’t feel much need to browse around anymore. But to take her exploration a step further, she clicked the “wink” button. Given the surly look on his face it felt like poking a sleeping dragon with a stick, but she couldn’t help herself. He probably wouldn’t respond anyway.

* * *

 

The next day, she had nearly forgotten about eResonance.net, but was reminded by a notification in her email.

_Congratulations, Maka Albarn! You have received a response to your wink! Click here to read the message._

_If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact customer service._

_Sincerely,_

_LD (eResonance.net admin)_

Maka was brought to a page she’d never visited. It was set up like a full-screen chat.

 **pianomansharky (22:10:32):** are you a bot?

She furrowed her brow for a moment before realizing he was asking whether she was a robot trolling his profile.

 **TheBookmeister (22:19:20):** Nope, I’m a real person : )

Assuming he was not online and would not respond right away, she closed the page. But when she checked her email again an hour later, she was notified again of a response. It had come only a few minutes after hers.

 **pianomansharky (22:24:42):** who are you?

Maka had absolutely no idea how to respond to this. “I’m a random stranger” didn’t have much of a ring to it. She patched together a polite response which, hopefully, did not sound too strange.

 **TheBookmeister (23:22:14):** I’m a new user. My friends bought me a subscription and I wanted to explore the site.

This time, she did not close the page, and he responded again almost immediately. The chat worked similarly to an instant messenger when both parties were online.

 **pianomansharky (23:23:53):** but why did you wink at me?

 **TheBookmeister (23:24:09):** Just curious, I guess. You were the first result.

 **pianomansharky (23:24:15):** ah, ok

 **pianomansharky (23:24:42):** well, now you know

His message had a feeling of finality to it, and Maka didn’t feel she’d be satisfied if they parted ways like this.

 **TheBookmeister (23:25:55):** Wait!

 **TheBookmeister (23:26:08):** Who are you?

 **TheBookmeister (23:26:15):** I can’t really tell anything about you from your profile. It’s so vague.

 **pianomansharky (23:27:00):** i don’t like filling out surveys and stuff very much

 **pianomansharky (23:27:48):** online dating is kinda dumb

 **pianomansharky (23:28:30):** but anyway i’m an admin assistant and i also am an accompanist sometimes

 **TheBookmeister (23:29:01):** I don’t know what any of that is…

 **TheBookmeister (23:29:20):** And why is it dumb?! It could be kind of fun…

 **pianomansharky (23:29:45):** you might think so

 **pianomansharky (23:29:53):** but you’re a nerd

 **TheBookmeister (23:30:11):** What the hell makes you say that? You don’t even know me!!

 **pianomansharky (23:30:26):** your profile, i saw it

 **pianomansharky (23:30:44):** all your hobbies are so boring

 **pianomansharky (23:30:47):** puzzles come on

 **TheBookmeister (23:31:02):** Better than “internet”.

 **TheBookmeister (23:31:22):** That’s not even a real hobby. It’s an interest. You’re obviously just some trolling idiot.

 **pianomansharky (23:31:37):** nope. outgrew that years ago, you just can’t accept your boringness

She should have closed the window. She really should.

 **TheBookmeister (23:32:03):** Sorry, but intellectual activities aren’t “boring” unless you’re stupid.

 **pianomansharky (23:32:50):** whatever u say

 **pianomansharky (23:33:05):** nurse dorkus

 **TheBookmeister (23:33:21):** Now I know why you looked like such a little asshole in your picture.

 **TheBookmeister (23:33:31):** You are one.

 **pianomansharky (23:33:56):** hey that picture was taken against my will

 **TheBookmeister (23:34:12):** ???

 **TheBookmeister (23:34:15):** Then take it down, moron.

 **pianomansharky (23:35:08):** i’m leaving it there to keep my brother and his friends from nagging me because they cant mind their own business and they were going to literally create a profile for me whether i cooperated or not

 **pianomansharky (23:35:16):** their obsessed with my lovelife

 **pianomansharky (23:35:18):** *they’re

 **TheBookmeister (23:35:39):** Oh. Well, that’s not very nice.

 **pianomansharky (23:35:57):** neither are you

 **TheBookmeister (23:36:08):** You STARTED it!

 **pianomansharky (23:36:14):** hahahahahaha

 **pianomansharky (23:36:28):** are you this serious about everything

 **TheBookmeister (23:37:24):** No. Only when people insult me.

 **pianomansharky (23:37:41):** yeah you weren’t kidding when your profile said you have a temper huh

 **TheBookmeister (23:37:47):** ...Okay.

 **TheBookmeister (23:38:03):** You got me. But you’re still rude.

 **pianomansharky (23:38:20):** finally something we can agree on

 **TheBookmeister (23:38:41):** Why? Are you rude on purpose?

 **pianomansharky (23:39:03):** i just dont take online chatting too seriously

 **TheBookmeister (23:39:23):** But you’re talking to real people. You can joke around but if you’re mean you might really hurt someone’s feelings.

 **pianomansharky (23:39:57):** i know

 **pianomansharky (23:40:14):** i used to be worse but then i thought about it

 **pianomansharky (23:40:30):** now i just call people nerds a little bit

 **pianomansharky (23:40:43):** btw you’re really easy to get riled up haha

 **TheBookmeister (23:40:55):** Shut up.

She shouldn’t have given him the courtesy of a proper farewell, but she was too polite and well-raised to behave with manners as poor as his.

 **TheBookmeister (23:41:11):** Anyway, I have to go to bed.

 **TheBookmeister (23:41:19):** Goodnight.

 **pianomansharky (23:41:32):** ok goodnight

When she checked her email one last time that night, she realized she had about nine hundred message notifications from eResonance - one for every asinine message the guy had sent. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she returned to the site once again to switch the email notifications off.

* * *

 

Absurd though it was, Maka was still thinking about pianomansharky the next day.

As is fairly common among otherwise-kind people with wicked tempers, she wondered if she hadn’t been too harsh. She probably hadn’t, as he’d been an insufferable prick, but she still wanted to go back and remain patient long enough to carry out a decent conversation, if only to prove she could. When she got home from work, she left him one message:

 **TheBookmeister (17:37:14):** Hey, you never did tell me exactly what an admin assistant or an accompanist is.

She didn’t get a response that night. But the next day when she logged online, something was waiting for her.

 **pianomansharky (09:32:38):** admin assistant is like my day job. i work for a record label, mostly doing office crap that i hate but sometimes i get to go to shows and scout talent a little bit. accompanist is something i do on the side for extra money. it’s basically playing piano or keyboard in the background for someone else. i like that better.

Maka decided this was civil enough and left an enthusiastic response.

 **TheBookmeister (17:47:23):** Oh, so you’re in the music industry! I love music.

His response didn’t take so long this time.

 **pianomansharky (18:20:04):** cool. what kind?

 **TheBookmeister (18:20:59):** A lot of genres. But right now I’m really into trance fusion.

 **pianomansharky (18:21:45):** oh gross. i hate trance fusion

 **pianomansharky (18:21:50):** but wait before you kill me

 **TheBookmeister (18:21:51):** Not AGAIN. Jerkass.

 **pianomansharky (18:22:00):** i do know some good artists

 **pianomansharky (18:22:07):** theyre technically good

 **pianomansharky (18:22:15):** even though i hate the sound

 **TheBookmeister (18:22:31):** If you hate it so much, then why do you know any good artists in the genre?

 **pianomansharky (18:22:50):** it’s my job remember? also i went to school for music

 **pianomansharky (18:23:13):** anyway, if you’re gonna listen to it, at least listen to talented people

 **pianomansharky (18:23:27):** you should youtube stuff by BlackBl00d, dwma, and Sistermice

 **TheBookmeister (18:24:11):** I am familiar with Sistermice! I love them. But I don’t know the others. I’ll look them up.

 **pianomansharky (18:24:32):** hope you like em

Maka listened to the artists for a solid hour while she sent a few work-related emails. BlackBl00d’s songs were, she felt, well-rounded and generally enjoyable. dwma - pronounced “dew-ma” - songs were hit-and-miss. Some of them Maka did not care for at all, but others made her absolutely euphoric.

She left a message for him:

 **TheBookmeister (19:30:38):** Hey, I really like some of these! Thanks! I guess. Even though you insulted my taste. But your suggestions were good.

She was no longer awake by the time the response came, but she checked the next morning before work and found it.

 **pianomansharky (01:12:38):** nice. you’re welcome. i guess. even though you have bad taste.

 **pianomansharky (01:13:40):** (that was a joke)


	2. send this user a wink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soul and Maka get closer on the Interwebs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY GOODNESS. THIS WAS LONGER THAN I INTENDED.

Soul had long since decided that denial was the stupidest human defense mechanism. Therefore, painful though it was to admit, he couldn’t deny that he’d had a bit of fun talking to TheBookmeister.

Talking to a stranger online was easier than talking to anyone face-to-face. It afforded him the option of ending the conversation immediately and fading back into obscurity on the Web if he got the urge, with no long-lasting repercussions. And as for the other person - well, what did anyone expect online? Because of the low expectations he could be fairly sure he wouldn’t seriously bother anyone else, either.

“Meet anyone yet?” teased Kim as he sat at his laptop in the living room.

“No,” he answered sulkily, “because I’m not trying to.”

“Aw, come on. You’re a good-looking guy. You must have had a few winks, right?”

Soul didn’t mention that after he’d started talking to TheBookmeister, he’d turned off email notifications altogether. Instead he said, “I dunno if that picture you took would help anyway. It’s not very flattering.”

“Well, it was the only way, since you made us take it,” Ox said, fiddling with his tie, as though this were a decent argument.

“I _**made**_ you do it?!” That was an awful misreading of the situation. Kim and Wes had thought Soul needed to “put himself out there” more; Ox had agreed, because he agreed with everything Kim suggested; and they had set to work buying a subscription. He’d adamantly refused to do it himself, so they’d signed him up, sticking him with the name “pianomansharky” when they realized “pianoman” was taken. After that, they’d handed over the laptop and sat with him while he reluctantly made his profile. Kim insisted he’d need a photograph and abruptly took one with her phone.

Under “one thing you should know about me,” she had mischievously added, “I’m super insecure but I’m a really sweet guy!” It had taken Wes’ gentle persuasion to get her to let Soul leave it at what he wanted.

He’d completely forgotten about it all through work the next few days, but when he’d arrived home one evening, this weird person with no profile image had sent him a “wink,” notification of which he’d received through his email address, as they’d also plugged that into the site.

The lack of a profile image made Soul skeptical, but something about it drew him in. If this person was real, there was a kind of naive genuineness to her that made him want to understand what about him she’d found interesting. She seemed too cheery and intellectual to be actually trying to flirt with a sullen, vague guy like Soul, but perhaps he could have an amusing conversation.

Also, she was a total nerd. And he had a bit of an urge to point it out.

“Well, personally, I don’t think you’re ever going to find anyone if you don’t actually look, and since you’re not willing to do that, we have to do it for you.” Kim sat down on the couch to adjust her heels.

“Why do I need to find someone, though?” Soul asked. “The idea that you _need_ to be in a relationship is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Kim gave him an unusually tender look. “Of course that’s not true. I never meant to imply that. But I believe in the end it would make you happy. And I don’t see you really happy very often.”

Soul wondered if Kim had an ulterior motive.

Before Wes, Kim, and Ox left the apartment, Wes took Soul into the back room.

“I’ve been thinking a lot, and it wasn’t very brotherly of me to go along with Kim and make that eResonance profile for you,” he said contritely. “I won’t nag you about it anymore if you don’t want to use it. Or if you want to take it down. I sort of got caught up in the moment.”

Soul knew this was a way of apologizing, so he answered, “Don’t worry about it. I actually have mixed feelings. S’not all bad.” It was true. He had been just curious enough to not ignore TheBookmeister, after all.

Wes brightened. “All right, then. Thanks.”

Soul wasn’t entirely sure about divulging this, but why not now that his brother had apologized? “You know how stubborn I am. I can look after myself. If I was that desperate to resist, they could never have made me do it.”

“I dunno,” Wes said. “They can be bullies sometimes.”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. It’s not like I’m a saint.”

“All right, fine. Have a good evening; I’ll be back late tonight.”

“Are Kim and Ox gonna be with you?” Soul asked.

“Nah. They’ll be going back to their apartment, finally. The fleas have been bombed and the paint is dry.”

“Thank god.” Soul sighed.

Wes smacked his arm playfully. “Hey! They’re my friends.”

“Yeah, they’re mine too, but I can’t deal with the bickering at 2 AM again.”

Instead of reminding him that had only happened once and Soul had barely woken up at all, Wes just offered a grin. “Be good. Any plans for tonight?”

“In about two hours I’ll be accompanying some talent show for next to no money.”

Wes shook his head of flaxen hair. “Well, good luck.”

* * *

 

Five hours later, Soul grumbled on his way back into the apartment, thoroughly done with people for the day.

And - he realized he was developing a new habit but did nothing to stop it - when he checked the eResonance chat with TheBookmeister, he had another message waiting.

 **TheBookmeister (18:17:19):** Very funny. Anyway, do you meet a lot of musicians?

It seemed like she wanted to continue the conversation even after she had a use for him, which was strange but not unwelcome. At this point, Soul had options: he could ignore her and the rest of the site, enlisting Wes to help him stave off nagging from Kim and Ox, he could continue chatting on this slightly cumbersome in-browser messenger system, or he could ask her to message him on Skype.

Skype would feel like a more personal option. But contact could just as easily be severed there as anywhere else, and it didn’t use his real name. He also felt much more comfortable browsing online while using it.

 **pianomansharky (21:34:05):** it’s cool if you still want to talk but i’m not a fan of this messenger. if you want you can skype me, my name there is souleater42.

It was almost 11:00 before he received a notification on Skype.

> **This person would like to connect with you.**
> 
> angelwings42 (Angel)
> 
> _Hi! This is TheBookmeister._

He quickly added her to his contacts, and while he was debating whether or not to begin a conversation, she did it for him.

> **Angel**
> 
> Hello.
> 
> We both have the same number in our names!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> haha yeah
> 
> it’s really dorky but i made this account when hitchhiker’s guide was in movie theaters and i couldnt think of a number to use
> 
> so i went with 42
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> I got the idea from the book! It’s one of my favorites.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> never read the book
> 
> movie was pretty good tho
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Ahhh you should read it. The movie is good, but it’s nothing compared to the book.
> 
> As is usually the case.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> i like movies better
> 
> i don’t think books are necessarily better
> 
> although they sometimes do a shitty job of adapting the books
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> I like books more.
> 
> You can savor them. They last longer. They include more detail but also, at the same time, leave more to the imagination. They can usually be more complicated while also being less confusing. And they’re quiet, so as long as you have light, you can read. You can take a book almost anywhere.
> 
> I also think they’re more...intellectual, I guess.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> are you calling me stupid
> 
> ?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Nonono!
> 
> ...Well, maybe a little...
> 
> **soul**
> 
> movies have artistic merit
> 
> there’s a lot to them
> 
> there are so many pieces that go into making a good movie
> 
> the visuals, the cinematography, the acting, the music, the storyline and writing, producing, all the effects
> 
> it takes at least as much talent to create a good movie from EVERY person involved as it does to write a book, and that’s usually just by one person rather than hundreds
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Okay okay!
> 
> Jeez, this is pretty serious for you, isn’t it?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> no
> 
> i just don’t like getting condescended to
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> You were pretty condescending about my music, though.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> no i just said i didn’t like it
> 
> theres a difference
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Agree to disagree?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> fine
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> :D
> 
> So you never did tell me
> 
> Do you meet a lot of different musicians?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> well, more than most people
> 
> but maybe not as many as you think
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Anyone famous?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> not really
> 
> well i did meet andy hurley once
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Who’s that?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> nobody you know apparently, don’t worry about it :P
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> :P
> 
> **soul**
> 
> as for you
> 
> i know you’re a nurse
> 
> but what kind
> 
> ?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Right now I work in the infusion room, which is where people get intravenous drug treatments. And sometimes I assist with procedures.
> 
> But in the future, I’d like to try for something a little more fast-paced.

And this time, as if by magic, they kept chatting. Soul listened to music samples on YouTube and played some games during the conversation, which was all-around relaxing; they seemed to be finding a kind of rhythm. At midnight, TheBookmeister - or “Angel” or whoever she really was - excused herself to go to sleep.

* * *

 

July became August as their online arguments became playful banter.

He learned that while she was in some ways his opposite, they did have things in common. They both loved amusement park rides, the crazier the better. They both loved a good horror movie. They both had soft spots for animals. And they both enjoyed pizza and pancakes (separately) at least as much as life itself.

They both, in fact, enjoyed a good argument, as long as each knew the other would eventually return to a more amicable state without too much prodding.

He learned that she was really proud of her job. She had confidence in her abilities, and she thought it was important, and she believed it was something not everyone could do well. Every day, Soul quickly realized, was a new challenge TheBookmeister was eager to face. Around the same time, he explained his job to her - his slightly irregular office schedule, his hatred of talking on the telephone, the shows he was occasionally paid to attend in the evenings. He absolutely loved that part of his job. He also discussed his work as an accompanist, which he did less of than he’d like.

She told him she lived alone in her own apartment, but her friends mostly lived in the same complex and they spent a lot of time in each others’ homes anyway. It had been a perfect balance, she said, because she could learn to be self-sufficient while still having people close by. Soul told her that he was living with his brother for now, and that while the two were friendly he mostly did his own chores and shopping.

Soul learned that TheBookmeister’s real name was Maka, and told her that Soul was actually his real name. She teased him about the sexual implications of the name “souleater,” and he told her he was glad to find out she wasn’t a total prude after all. After more and more hours spent with her online, Soul felt like he really, truly knew this girl he’d never seen a photo of. He was afraid to ask.

He still had never believed he’d be one for online friendships, but once again, he had to admit: he valued the time he spent talking to her. There were days, sometimes whole weeks, when they didn’t connect, and it always left him a bit melancholy.

September slipped into October as “who are you?” became “how was your day?”. The leaves changed and the days shortened; Maka told Soul that while she absolutely loved so many things about autumn, the darker evenings could get her down sometimes if she didn’t look for something fun to do. He told her he understood because hauling a keyboard around in the dark and cold is a pain in the ass.

He let her know how much he loved the piano, and how the keyboard was a sorry replacement for it but they couldn't fit one in this apartment. She kept trying to get him to play the keyboard for her via Skype.

She also told him the story of her family: Maka had always been close to her father, but she loved her mother too, and when she discovered her father was a philanderer, she’d felt as betrayed as her mother had. She’d been through phases of hating men, remedied by more decent ones she’d known and her own desire to engage in romantic relationships. Meanwhile, Soul confided in Maka that he might, maybe, have sabotaged himself a bit. He didn’t, he explained, do it on purpose, but looking back, there were a lot of opportunities he never took advantage of - chances to play with bands, people he could get to know in the industry. She asked him why, and he said it was because he didn’t want to deal with the failure. He’d done well enough to become self-sufficient, because he didn’t want to be a dependent forever, but he probably could have done better. He could be a professional pianist, full-time, and couldn't decide how much he actually wished this would happen.

After months of long conversation, Soul trusted Maka. He would play for her the next time she asked.

When she did, he considered the possibility of a video call. But no - he would be too embarrassed to be watched while he played. It would be like...well, it would be showing her something _very private_. He told her he would play, but she would have to let him make it an audio-only call. She enthusiastically agreed.

Briefly, he was anxious about hearing her voice for the first time, and letting her hear his. Her voice, though, was strong and sweet and kind, and she said he sounded much better than he typed, which seemed like a compliment.

"So I was a little worried that you were gonna be a fifty-year-old guy pretending to be a girl, but that doesn't sound like it's the case," Soul said as he readied himself at the keyboard. Maka giggled. It did funny things to his stomach, and he slapped himself.

"So it's probably not gonna sound as good as it could through Skype," he began.

"I don't care, I just wanna hear," Maka answered.

"Pffft. Yeah. I'm sure you do. Okay, here goes." _Here goes everything_ , Soul added in his mind as he began to play.

For the full three minutes that he played his favorite Beethoven piano concerto, Maka was completely silent. And she remained briefly silent after he finished.

"Soul," she breathed. "You're great."

"Well, I dunno about that, but thanks anyway."

She'd made abundandly clear the fact that she didn't know anything at all about music. But he appreciated the compliment.

* * *

 

It was Halloween. While he didn’t care to admit it to anyone, Soul wanted to see if he could say hello to Maka before leaving for the night.

> **soul**
> 
> happy halloween!
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Hey! Same to you!
> 
> Are you all dressed up yet?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> yeah leaving soon
> 
> can’t believe wes is dragging me to this thing
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> You always accuse Wes of “dragging” you places but you’ve also told me he’s “really good about minding his own business” about ten times now.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> ugh i dunno
> 
> i’ll probably have fun
> 
> it’s just weird
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> That’s the spirit!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> how about you?
> 
> when are you supposed to go?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> About ten minutes. I’m waiting for Liz and Tsubaki to knock on my door.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> arent they always late?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Let’s just say they’ve never been earlier than five minutes late. And they live two minutes down the hall.
> 
> Wait, we’re both wearing our costumes! Let’s trade selfies :D
> 
> **soul**
> 
> hmm
> 
> i guess that would be ok
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> I realized a long time ago that I’ve seen a picture of you but you’ve never seen one of me…
> 
> **soul**
> 
> not for long though right?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> True.
> 
> Okay, I’m taking my picture now.

He took a stupid picture of his stupid face in his stupid cowboy costume, smiling into the webcam despite himself, and sent it before he could think too much. At almost exactly the same time, Maka sent one back. The transfer finished quickly, so he eagerly clicked on the picture to open it--

\--and his eyes almost bugged out of his head.

Maka was beautiful. She was tiny, her own eyes wide and green and framed by ashy blonde hair. She smiled brilliantly at him, the whole image endearingly framed by the “nice, modest angel costume” she’d told him she would be wearing.

> **Angel**
> 
> Oh! Your eyes are really red!!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> ...yes?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> This whole time I’ve been thinking that was redeye in your profile picture!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> omg maka
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> But anyway awwww, look at you!
> 
> You look great!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> thanks
> 
> you’re so twiggy
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> That’s the first thing you say?!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> don’t kill me
> 
> like...cute twiggy
> 
> i swear
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Yeah, yeah. Thanks.
> 
> :P
> 
> **soul**
> 
> anyway, I have to get moving
> 
> hope you have fun tonight
> 
> don’t get sick on candy
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> I won’t make any promises about the candy. But I will have fun.
> 
> You enjoy yourself too!

* * *

 

It was the week of Thanksgiving when he finally texted her for the first time.

He had to go home two days before the holiday, to southern Vermont. And he was absolutely dreading it. Soul did not, for all that his manipulative aunt liked to accuse him, “hate” his family. But he did like to keep most of them at a distance, because he was so tired of the arguing and the special, monied kind of dysfunction he suspected plagued many filthy rich families. Besides, they were already starting to bother him about settling down and “giving them grandchildren” and when was he going to start his real career, anyway? And oh, the political arguments - half of his family was full of right-wingnuts, and the other half was full of out-of-touch hippies, and nobody could leave an argument alone long enough to get through dinner and dessert.

All of this came out the night before he left as he packed for the trip.

> **Angel**
> 
> Hmmm…I'm sure they love you, but trust me, I know how hard families can be to deal with.
> 
> I’m sorry :( I wish I could be helpful.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> nothing anyone can do
> 
> unless my family magically becomes sane
> 
> and nice
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Anyone there you actually like to talk to?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> well, wes will be ok
> 
> my younger cousins are nice but we’re not close
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> How about if I give you my cell number? You can text me if you need to vent.

Soul pondered this briefly. There was no particular reason this had to happen; after all, he would have his laptop and could likely connect with her on Skype. She probably knew this.

But he did want her number.

> **soul**
> 
> if thats really ok, sure
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> All right! I’m 413-555-8069.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> thanks
> 
> not sure you’ll hear from me but thanks anyway
> 
> :)
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Not a problem.

He wasn’t sure if he was meant to give her his number. She didn’t ask for it, so he didn’t send it.

But he did use it. Thanksgiving night at the dinner table, things were getting out of hand, so he excused himself to the bathroom. He wondered why he would use this moment to text her. He was already nervous from getting interrogated at Thanksgiving dinner, and the idea of initiating phone contact with her was also nerve-wracking. But he was inclined to do it, for comfort or a change from routine or...something.

> _Sent to: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:10 PM_
> 
> hello, this is soul
> 
> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:12 PM_
> 
> Hey Soul! Everything OK?
> 
> _Sent to: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:16 PM_
> 
> yea just wanted to say hi and get away from the fam for a little while
> 
> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:20 PM_
> 
> Awwww. I'm sure whatever they're doing is just their weird way of caring.
> 
> _Sent to: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:22 PM_
> 
> i know for sure it is but it sure is annoying
> 
> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:23 PM_
> 
> Sorry they suck! Good luck dealing with them.
> 
> _Sent to: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:25 PM_
> 
> thanks. its not really a big deal. i gotta go back but thanks.

When he got back to the table, he felt his phone buzz one more time and, at the risk of raising some relative’s ire, he checked the message.

> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 4:30 PM_
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful to know you! :)

* * *

 

After that, Soul realized that Maka listened to his whining an awful lot.

Oh, he definitely listened to her, too. When she'd had a long day, too many patients jammed into too little time, or a book had a shitty ending, or some supervisor found a way to offend her by mistake or on purpose, or her father did something unsavory - he listened to it all as best he could. He wasn't confident enough to offer much advice, though he thought of himself as pretty sympathetic. He decided to go out on a limb to propose an idea that wouldn't usually occur to him, but that he knew she would like.

> **soul**
> 
> i had an idea, dont laugh
> 
> maybe we should mail each other just little christmas presents
> 
> ?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> That's a fantastic idea, Soul!
> 
> I know exactly what I want to get you, hahaha.

So they did.

He sent her a cheesy book he'd seen that reminded him of her. It was called "Herbal Tea for the Bibliophile's Soul," and it was a thick collection of touching stories about writing, authorship, books, and libraries. He awaited her gift more eagerly than he had awaited anything in a long time - the feeling of a childhood Christmas morning returned! - and when it finally arrived, he opened up a small bag of what one might call the perfect cookies, along with a small book of artistic photography all about pianos.

* * *

 

New Year's Eve.

He wanted to meet her. He wanted her to be there.

Soul stood outside, watching the sky. They had about ten minutes left in the year. Wes and Kirikou were watching the Boston sky, waiting for fireworks, but they definitely noticed all the texts Soul was sending and cast smug looks his way on occasion. They had long since learned that he had a "pen pal" and enjoyed speculating on the nature of that relationship.

His phone buzzed.

> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 11:49 PM_
> 
> How is it in Boston? Noisy?
> 
> _Sent to: Maka_
> 
> _today, 11:50 PM_
> 
> yeah. hey want me to try to call after midnight?
> 
> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 11:51 PM_
> 
> Wouldn't it be more fun if we were talking right as midnight fell?
> 
> _Sent to: Maka_
> 
> _today, 11:52 PM_
> 
> sure, want me to call you in a few?
> 
> _Received from: Maka_
> 
> _today, 11:53 PM_
> 
> Yes, please do!

They hadn't spoken voice-to-voice since late October because he'd been too shy to ask. He felt like he needed a reason; he wasn't sure how interested she would be in speaking to him or meeting him or dating him for real, and he didn't know how to figure that out. His heart pounded as 11:58 on December 31 approached, and for the first time, he called her number.

It didn't even finish ringing once, which made him grin.

"Soul!" she said.

"Hey," he responded. People around him were chattering excitedly. "Can you hear the noise from the crowd?"

"I can a little, but things are pretty noisy here, too. The auditorium is completely jam-packed. I think everyone who's ever worked here is here tonight."

"I'll bet," Soul said. He didn't know what else to say, so he was silent for a few moments and tried not to encourage Wes and Kirikou anymore as they were eyeballing him.

And Maka started counting down. He was about to tell her she was early when he noticed that people around him were counting down, too - in these moments he could feel time slipping like sand through his fingers; he got the distinct feeling of rolling, unstoppably, down a rollercoaster hill as the "Happy New Year!" approached.

"SOUL!" She encouraged him to join her. "Four! Three!"

"Two! One!" he added to her shouts.

 _ **"Happy New Year!"**_ the entire city of Boston erupted; fireworks streamed into the sky in a fantastically symmetrical display of every color imaginable.

"Soul! I can hear the fireworks!" Maka said. "We're watching them on the screen in here!"

He stood, watching the sky.

"I wish you were here," he murmured, thoughtlessly, before gasping and throwing his hand over his mouth.

Maka didn't miss a beat. "I wish I was, too."

"Ahah, yeah," he said weakly, smiling like a fucking idiot. He heard someone yelling close to Maka's phone.

"Uh oh - Patti's telling me I'd better go, Soul," Maka said. "But I'll talk to you later. Happy New Year."

"Same to you, Maka."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm rather worried about my portrayal of the characters. I hope no one came across the wrong way. In particular, I feel sort of bad about Kim sorta bullying Soul, and concerned that I didn't write him strong enough. Feel free to tell me what you think. I probably won't change this chapter, but it may help me in the future. Also, sorry that practically every story I write involves New Year's somehow. Anyway, thanks so much for reading. The final chapter will come on Friday!


	3. irl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, where do you go from "I wish you were here"?

This had all gotten a bit more serious than she’d expected.

It was at the point where Liz and Tsubaki knew about him. In fact, they’d caught her talking to him on her phone at work during a particularly slow day in early December and had immediately decided that she must meet him in real life. The truth was that she agreed. Maka wanted very much to meet Soul in person. She had for a long time, ever since he had played the keyboard for her.

But while the trip would be feasible to make, the distance between Boston and Lanesborough was too great for either of them to casually pretend there was a “convenient time” to just “swing by.” It would also probably be like initiating a date, and she was not familiar with how to do that sort of thing online without coming across as strange.

After she heard him say, in that unguarded moment at midnight, that he wished she was there, Maka gained all the confidence in the world. She was planning with certainty on initiating a meetup, but wanted to think of exactly the right way to do so.

On January 2, a fortuitous phone call presented her with the perfect opportunity: a job interview at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where she had applied in hopes of finding a higher-profile, faster-paced job. She wanted to tell Soul that she’d be coming to his city but also wanted to make sure they could have an uninterrupted conversation, so she waited until she arrived home and saw that he was online.

> **Angel**
> 
> Hey!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> oh hello
> 
> i got a question
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> What’s up?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> i was wondering if maybe you wanted to meet in real life sometime?

Maka almost jumped out of her seat for joy. She squeaked. Loudly. Thank goodness she wasn’t having any visitors at the moment.

> **soul**
> 
> we don’t have to
> 
> just thought it might be fun
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Wow, Soul, oh my god! That’s what I was just gonna ask you about!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> haha cool
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Something came up at work. I have an interview on February 15 at Tufts Medical Center, but that’s in the morning.
> 
> If you wanted to meet sometime that day, it would be perfect!
> 
> **soul**
> 
> yeah, that would be great
> 
> tmc is like 20 minutes from my apartment
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Great!
> 
> My interview is right at 9 AM, so I’m thinking if we wait until around 11 to meet that should be the right time.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> works for me
> 
> where do you wanna meet?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Well, I was thinking a restaurant or cafe or something like that, but did you have any ideas?
> 
> **soul**
> 
> there is a starbucks right next to the hospital right?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Yeah.
> 
> **soul**
> 
> why don’t i just meet you there?
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> Are you sure? I know how you feel about Starbucks...
> 
> **soul**
> 
> hey we dont have to stay there
> 
> and if i’m remembering right, it’s set up pretty nicely
> 
> **Angel**
> 
> That is true. I’ve been there. If you don’t mind, it sounds like a great idea to me.

In some ways, Maka regretted her initial impulse to use her job interview as an excuse to meet up. It meant she would have to wait over a month. But time started moving very quickly, and she found herself glad to have a while to plan and prepare.

During that time, her online discussions with Soul took on a different tone - they revealed more to each other about their former relationships. Neither wanted to rattle on or obsess, but there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that some sharing would be important. Maka appreciated that he didn’t seem hung up on anyone from the past. She discovered that he’d been in three relationships before, with only one that was serious so far. It had ended because once the initial rush of infatuation wore off there was little real trust holding the two together and the relationship fell apart slowly, almost coldly.

Maka had - since middle school, and she counted middle school, which made Soul laugh and tease her - four relationships. Most of them had lasted only a few months, and only one, again, had felt serious. It was long-lasting, but a little boring, and Maka had left upon realizing she did not feel important in the relationship.

They also disclosed plans for the future while carefully dancing around subjects of romance and family. Maka told Soul that she could imagine either finding a more interesting nursing job or going to graduate school (probably both). Soul told her that he’d want to stay in the music industry, but get out of his current job. They argued about his dim view of his own pianist abilities.

* * *

 

 

The 44 days passed more quickly than Maka expected (not that she was counting) and finally, it was the morning of her interview. Maka woke up at 5 AM in order to have time to get ready for the interview and what she assumed was probably meant to be a date, although no one had called it that explicitly. Unfortunately, there were no two ways about it - she would have to wear professional clothes, which weren’t the most fun.

The lingerie gave her the most pause. Here, she was free to choose, because nobody in the interview would be seeing her undies. She was most inclined to wear her favorite sexy stuff, sheer pink panties with black lace trim and a matching bra. But this posed a question: what exactly did she plan to make happen on this date? Was she assuming he would be seeing them?

Maka had never considered allowing a sexual encounter to happen on a first date, much less a first “maybe-date.” But after all that time chatting through technology, she resisted the idea that she didn’t know Soul at least as much as she would know a friend. She knew that meeting someone from online is not always as magical as one thinks it will be. She knew that people could use the Internet to be deceiving, or that she could meet Soul in real life and feel none of the chemistry she was assuming she would.

And yet, she believed in him, believed in their connection. She could not pretend she didn’t want everything to go well enough, feel right enough, for something intimate to happen. Most importantly, the sheer pink lingerie set made her feel secretive and confident and no matter what happened she wouldn’t regret wearing it, so she chose it.

At 5:45 AM, Maka left her apartment to make the two-and-a-half hour trip to Boston. She had settled on a warm-grey blazer and business skirt, light stockings, black slightly-raised heels, and a white blouse - with, of course, the secret sexy underwear beneath. She let her hair down partly and tied it back in a semi-ponytail. For a dash of color she added a green scarf that matched her eyes.

The drive was unremarkable, and Maka arrived with time to spare. She told herself that she must concentrate on the interview, worry about meeting Soul later. But the piano in the atrium caught her off-guard and reminded her of him. She realized she welcomed the comforting thought in this otherwise unfamiliar place. In the back of her mind she was hoping she’d get to see him play in real life the whole time she sat in the office of Mira Nygus, and when she was ushered into Marie Mjolnir’s office, she had one of the dwma songs he’d introduced her to stuck in her head.

Despite her distraction, Maka felt good about the interviews and hoped these people would eventually be her supervisors.

Now to Starbucks. Maka contemplated sending Soul a message that said “On my way now,” but decided not to. He would be there by 11.

By the time she neared the coffee shop, it was 10:45, and she saw a white-haired man who looked very familiar standing outside. He held a bouquet of red roses. She squinted, saw who it was, and started jogging toward him as quickly as her heels would allow.

“Soul,” she breathed to get his attention. He seemed convinced she would be coming from the opposite direction.

“Maka!” he answered as he whirled around, startled. He had the biggest grin she’d ever seen on anyone, including surprisingly sharp teeth. Still, she gave no pause as she leapt forward to give him a hug.

“It’s about damn time,” she laughed.

“Agreed,” he answered, wrapping his arms around her gently while trying not to crush the flowers.

“Your teeth are really sharp,” she stage-whispered, still grinning. “I didn’t know that.”

“Are they too much?” he asked, his voice disappointed. She felt his grip loosen.

“No, no. I like them! It’s a pleasant surprise. Cute.”

He laughed and embraced her harder again.

After some time she pulled back to get a look at his face, which was as red as the bouquet itself, and he awkwardly held the flowers out. “For you. Happy belated Valentine’s.”

“Oh, Soul, thank you.” She smiled unguardedly, her face hot. In the back of her mind every doubt that this was a date dissolved and she accepted the gift. “But I didn’t know we were doing this,” she said, biting her lip. “I don’t have anything.”

“Pfft. That’s why I didn’t say anything about it before, twignerd. You don’t have to do anything.”

She jabbed him with her elbow. “Well, thank you. Shall we go in?”

“Actually, I had this idea on the way,” he said. “But we can stay here if you want. I really don’t mind.”

“What a compliment! Hanging around in Starbucks for me.”

“--It’s an easy place to find. But there’s this little Chinese cafe a short walk away. I’ve only been there once, years ago, but they had really good, interesting drinks. And some good food, too.”

“Well, why are we standing here?” Maka asked. “I don’t care where we go.”

Soul grinned. “Whatever you say. It’s a cool place.”

The walk was only a couple of blocks away. In that time, he asked how the interview had gone and listened as she cheerfully described her morning, and they walked so close they accidentally bumped against each other three times.

Bao Bao Bakery & Cafe had a cheerful exterior and a bar inside for sitting. Too excited to eat, Maka followed Soul’s lead and ordered just a drink - some tea. They sat for about an hour making small talk: news, work, weather, hometowns. She mostly wanted to enjoy his presence, and while they started out sitting as casual friends would, they moved closer and closer. She was not sure about the etiquette of this moment, because he was absurdly huggable and she wanted to lean into him, but this was a cramped public space and she settled for moving her hands closer to his on the bartop. After about twenty minutes, she almost started laughing out loud at Soul’s truly unsubtle attempts to scoot his chair closer to her.

“What’s the joke?” he asked, catching her eye anxiously.

“Ahah. Nothing.” And it gave her the confidence to slip her hand over his on the bartop. He looked back at her with a tiny grin playing at the sides of his lips, but did not comment.

The conversation moved to their online discussions, and Maka felt a new sense of perspective about them with him sitting right in front of her.

When he mentioned how surprised he was to have been contacted by someone like her, she gave Soul a level stare. “I don’t get it. Why’d you just start picking on me out of the blue? I barely even said anything to you when you started insulting me.”

Soul shrugged. “I was disappointed.”

This was confusing and potentially offensive. “What?” she said.

“Well, you sent me a wink - oh God, it sounds dumb just saying it - but anyway, you sent me that, and I thought maybe someone was actually interested in me. But then it seemed like I was more of a random experiment, and you didn’t care, so I kinda...lashed out I guess.”

“I thought you didn’t like online dating.”

“I didn’t. But it’s hard not to get flattered, you know?”

Maka giggled. “I do know. If it helps, I did think you seemed interesting, although I couldn’t exactly foresee meeting you here like this.”

By now, both of their drinks had been completely drained. She wasn’t sure what to expect or suggest next and brought up the first thing she could think of.

“Hey, wanna go for a walk?” she asked.

He looked surprised, but not unhappy. “Yeah, definitely. Are you gonna be okay in those shoes?”

Maka shrugged. “Yeah. We just can’t do any racing is all. Anyway, where should we go?”

“There are some parks nearby. I can show you those.”

As they walked down the streets and through the park (“Eliot Norton”), their hands wound together. Maka still carried the roses in the other hand. They stayed in amicable silence for a while, dwelling on the body heat they exchanged, and felt absolutely no need to do anything except occasionally grin at each other. Maka knew watching them do this would be intolerably sappy for anyone else, but that’s part of what made it so much fun. Occasionally one of them would make a comment about a store or an animal or something a person did, and they would chat for a while. Soul would squeeze her hand.

So much for “no chemistry.” Maka wanted things to move forward. “Ugh, I’m cold,” she announced.

As though he’d been waiting for this, Soul stopped and pulled her into a hug. “I was wondering how long it was gonna take you to admit it. That’s a thin blazer.”

“Thbbt,” Maka blew a raspberry but embraced him back. “Where’s a place we can go inside?”

“Um, I’m not really sure. We could go in a store. Or a restaurant.”

“Hmmm, whatever you wanna do.” She let her voice get muffled in his jacket. When she glanced up, he was looking at her thoughtfully. “What?” she asked playfully.

He shook his head as if to say, “Nothing,” but didn’t take his eyes off of her.

No one was sure exactly who initiated the kiss. It felt good that way, though, and was a wonderful full-body experience that made her stomach flutter and her heart race. She’d thought being around him before turned her on, but this set her ablaze.

When they finally took a break, Soul smiled. “So we’re on the same page?”

“Duh.” She bopped him - very gently, so as not to ruin the flowers - on the head with her roses. He pretended to wave them away in annoyance.

It was then that Maka saw movement, something rather bright and golden, and glanced over Soul’s shoulder to see Marie Mjolnir smiling and flashing her a thumbs-up. Maka gasped and the light flush she’d been wearing since the kiss brightened again. Soul glanced backward, wondering what she’d seen.

Shit. What was the protocol for behavior if a job interviewer caught you kissing in public?! It hadn’t been indecent or anything, no tongues or groping involved, but still--!

Marie simply waved and winked, turning to leave.

“Friend of yours?” Soul asked.

“That was one of my interviewers,” Maka said in a hushed tone. “She’s the Director of Nursing at Tufts!”

He burst into laughter. “Oh, that’s embarrassing.”

“Yeah, I know, Soul,” she growled.

“Relax. I think you’re fine. She seemed to like you. I don’t think it’s gonna be held against you. Besides, it’s none of their business.”

“She was really nice.” Maka sighed in relief. “I think I’m okay.”

Soul pulled her close and patted her on the head again. “Good.”

“Hey, Soul?”

“What is it?”

“How long have we been on the uh, the same page?”

“Hmmm.” Soul put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. “I guess I sorta had a dweeby Internet crush on you for a while, but I didn’t know what to think of someone I’d never seen or heard before. So in October. When I heard your voice and saw your picture. I definitely had a thing for you then.”

“Really. Similar for me, but especially the first time I heard you play the piano.”

“I couldn’t tell if you liked me or if it was wishful thinking.”

“I liked you, idiot.” She just leaned into him, doing her best to negotiate the roses as she wrapped her arms around him again. He did the same.

“If you want,” Soul began quietly, tapping his fingers gently but anxiously on her back, “we could go back to my apartment. It should be warm there, and we can maybe get some kind of takeout. But we could also go to a restaurant or anywhere else...” he trailed off.

“I’d really like to see your apartment,” Maka said brightly.

“Then let’s go. If we go back to the T it should be only about twenty minutes away.”

Traffic had picked up on the T, and negotiating the roses was sometimes a challenge, especially among people who didn’t look where they were going. Soul laughed at Maka’s irritation at the crowd. Thankfully, they did find two seats next to each other, and managed to relax all the way to the stop a block away from Soul’s apartment.

The building was old but clean, the decor on the outside evocative of a different time.

“Wow,” Maka said. “Nice place.”

“I like it fine,” Soul agreed.

When they unlocked the door and opened it, Soul looked as if he had been about to stride in but ended up hesitating. “Wes?” he asked. And indeed, there was a slightly older man already in the apartment. He looked like a slightly taller, platinum blond version of Soul with unnervingly straight teeth and a green turtleneck.

“Oh! Hi,” he said, standing in the kitchenette, holding a mug of coffee as they walked in. He looked surprised, almost shocked, but not necessarily angry.

“What - didn’t you have some appointments tonight?” Soul asked, voice more high-pitched than usual.

“My first and second cancelled.”

“O-oh.” Soul gave Maka an inscrutable look - it may have been an apology - as Wes put his hand on his hip, looking amused.

“Uh. I guess I might as well introduce you. This is Maka. Maka, this is my brother, Wes.”

“Hi,” Maka piped, holding out her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Maka.” Wes shook her hand, glanced at the flowers, then looked back at Soul with a big grin on his face. “Are those from you, Soul?”

“She’s, ah, that person. From online,” Soul mumbled instead of answering directly. Maka looked between the two questioningly.

“Oh, I see,” Wes answered, winking. “Well then, don’t let me get in your way. I’ll be leaving in about an hour anyway. Here, let’s put those in water.” Soul made a face at Wes’s grin as they left the flowers on the counter and made their way to the little living room.

“Sorry,” he said when they sat down. “He’s usually out by now.”

“Don’t worry so much,” Maka said. “He seemed nice.”

“He’s cool, I guess. He’s been worse. Chinese food?” he asked in a hurry, reaching for the phone in his pocket.

Maka was hungry enough not to care what they ordered. Maybe skipping lunch at Bao Bao had been an awful idea. “If we can get fried rice instead of white, yes.”

While they waited for the delivery, they tried to decide on a movie to watch and chose a horror flick neither had ever heard of.

It really was a horror show, but for all the wrong reasons. The movie was simply not scary. Fortunately, it was amusing, and after scarfing down their food, they cuddled close on the couch, laughing heartily about how very obviously none of the idiots onscreen had ever seen a horror movie before.

Wes called out, “Back around eleven!” in an obvious attempt to help them plan their activities. The sound of the door closing immediately changed the atmosphere.

They allowed the movie to finish and kept laughing through it, but as soon as the credits rolled, Maka looked back at Soul with wide, inquisitive eyes, and helped him pick up the kiss where they’d left off in the park. This time, instead of breaking apart, the kiss got deeper and their tongues met; Maka didn’t want to leave his mouth but she did want to explore the rest of him, so she ran her hands in all the safe places she could: up his arms, across his back, through his hair. He followed her lead.

Soul pulled her toward himself, and they just kept spreading out until they haphazardly took up the whole couch. As he embraced her fully, she tangled her legs with his, letting him kiss her neck before laughing and planting little kisses all over his face.

“Thanks for meeting with me, Soul.”

“Heh. You’re more than welcome. I should be thanking you.”

They started another deep kiss, and this time, he tentatively reached for her rear end. She encouraged him by grinding her hips into his and humming appreciatively. Her heart pounded and sparks erupted deep in her core as they continued to move together and she felt him hard against her thigh. She didn’t think about it much; she just reached for him, caressing the tip of his erection through his jeans.

“Ahaah, Mmmaka,” he sighed when he pulled away from her lips; his whole body twitched under the feel of her hand. “I really want to keep doing this with you. But you’re sure you’re cool with it, too?”

“Yes,” she said fervently. She hoped he could see the fire in her eyes.

He kissed her again, hard, and she pressed herself against him even more. They had moved to dry-humping on the couch, and really, it had become “dry” in name only.

“Do you have a bed?” she whispered.

“No, I just sleep in a pile of hay,” he laughed warmly.

She pinched him. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Hey!”

“Wanna go there instead?”

They made their way to his room and slipped onto the bed - it was full-size, a great improvement over the couch, and covers were strewn about. As they greedily returned to the heat of each other’s bodies, Soul cupped the side of her face in his hand.

“This is usually where I talk to you alone. On that.” He nodded vaguely toward the laptop on the nightstand.

“I know,” she said. “And now I’m actually here. I have...imagined this before.” When he smirked, she asked, “Did you ever…?”

“I uh...honestly, yeah. All the time.”

She pulled him on top of her. While they made out, Soul ground into her with slow, impassioned movements. It made her grin into the kiss and gyrate for all she was worth, especially since he was situated between her legs now and she could get just a little relief by rubbing on him.

“Let me take this off,” she finally said when she mustered the willpower to pause, and she stripped off her jacket.

“Think we should take it all off?” Soul asked shyly.

Maka smiled. “Let’s.”

They stripped each other slowly, punctuating each item removal with a kiss until they were in nothing but underwear. He wore an attractive pair of red plaid boxers, and he seemed nearly overwhelmed by her lingerie.

“Oh god, Soul,” she said, running her hands over his whole body - this time, from hair to shoulders to arms to chest and, finally, to his privates.

“Oh god yourself,” he breathed, brushing his fingers reverently over her breasts, down her stomach, over the soft flesh her panties covered.

The next time he settled between her legs, as erect as humanly possible, he told her she was “fucking perfect.” She could feel her own pulse and the tunnel vision had long since set in as she focused on him - the things he said to her, the shape of his body and smell of his skin, the noises he made when she reached between them and put her hand on his cock, stroking through his boxers.

“I want you,” she said huskily.

“I want you, too,” he murmured.

She tugged on his boxers. “Off?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, and then paused. “One second.” He reached over into the nightstand and pulled out a box of condoms, scrutinizing the label - looking, she assumed, for an expiration date.

Maka tapped him on the arm and whispered, “I’m on the pill, and I’m clean. If you are too...we can go without those.”

Soul tossed  the box back in the drawer. “I am.”

He helped as she pulled his boxers down, revealing his rigid cock; she stroked it for a few moments while he tried to remove her bra.

“You’re very distracting,” he whispered thickly in her ear as he fumbled with the clasp.

“It’s not that hard,” she giggled. “Well, the bra. You, though…”

He finally succeeded. “God, Maka,” he whispered again, taking one petite breast in his hand and gently licking the other. She let go of him so she could arch toward his mouth.

“Let me feel your teeth. Just a little,” she panted. His eyes widened, but he scraped his teeth on her tit lightly, too lightly to possibly hurt, just enough to tease, and ran his tongue in circles around her hard nipple. She let her eyes close and smiled widely.

“That feels just as good as I thought it would,” she sighed blissfully.

But after a few more moments, she didn’t want to wait anymore. Maka let out an impatient little moan and started removing her panties. He helped and, when the underwear had been tossed to the floor, reached between her legs to feel every detail of her body. She knew she was absolutely soaked and hummed encouragingly while he ran his fingers teasingly between her lips and around her clit.

He pushed two fingers slowly into her, massaging her walls to help her open up wide. “Are you ready?” he asked gently.

“Very,” she smiled through her haze. As he settled on top of her, she pulled him close, keeping both her hands on his shoulder blades. He moved the head of his cock to her entrance, and as he pushed forward, she rode up a little, gyrating, taking him all the way in.

He made a primal, lustful sound. “You feel so good. Makaaa…”

She moved her hands down to pull his ass close and groaned. “Ah, Soul, you’re so hard and thick and perfect…” She worked herself around him, wanting him to feel her movements inside so he could experience her pleasure first-hand.

“Maka, you could-- you could make me come just doing this,” he said, deep voice quivering with passion. Slowly, he started to move, thrusting in and slightly upwards.

“Like that,” she said, looking up and into his eyes. “That rhythm. I like it.”

“Tell me what you need,” he panted. “I’ll do it.”

“Keep doing it like this. And - and kiss me.” She wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to keep the same angle, but it was worth a try. _Oh_. Oh, he moved a little, but this was just as good and _he was kissing her_.

Maka had never been very rhythmic on her own, but following his lead, she was able to ride him from below, one hand still on his ass and the other on his back. She moaned into his kiss, hoping he’d keep going, keep going, keep going, because any moment now…

She could feel herself crossing that threshold as the pleasure swelled within her. “Here I come,” she whispered through his kiss. “Soul...!” Maka tumbled over the edge and felt the orgasm ripple through her muscles as she arched her whole body uncontrollably.

She remembered to open her eyes, and while it was hard to focus through her orgasm, she did see Soul staring lustfully down at her as he answered, “Yeah...fuck yeah, Maka…”

And then he groaned, spilling himself inside of her. They held eye contact for a few heated, heart-pounding moments, feeling each other’s orgasm before both closed their eyes to ride out the rest of the pleasure.

At last, the rest of the world came back into focus. Soul dropped to the bed beside Maka. The light in the window was that of late afternoon, and they were both covered in sweat neither had even noticed before.

Maka didn’t want to move.

“I don’t wanna move,” Soul said lazily.

“Then let’s not.” Maka smiled and pulled a blanket up around both of them. He embraced her, and they rested naked together.

“You work tomorrow, right?” he asked.

“No,” Maka said sleepily. “What about you?”

“Pfffffff. Yeah. Doesn’t matter, though.” He shifted a little, tensing. “Wanna sleep over?”

“Not gonna be a problem for you?” she asked.

“Nah. I don’t have to be in super early, and I can probably negotiate a shorter day. I do have some personal time to play with.”

“I’d love to stay,” Maka answered, cuddling close. “We’re together now for real, right?”

“Of course,” Soul said, pulling her in. And there, skin-to-skin, they fell asleep, completely vulnerable together.

* * *

 

She was sitting in the kitchen late that night, watching with interest as Soul flipped some late-night pancakes, when Wes arrived home.

"Ah, hello. Good to see you again, Maka," he said pleasantly, apparently not at all surprised. "Will you be staying with us tonight?"

"I was planning to, yes," she answered, feeling slightly awkward.

Wes smiled and made his way to his room. "Good to have you. Enjoy your midnight breakfast, both of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, FANDOM! Thanks for all your sweet feedback and encouragement, and EXTRA special thanks to Professor Maka, marshofsleep, Lueur de Laube, and fabulousanima for their extremely helpful feedback and general encouragement. Guys, I did my best to take your suggestions while keeping it my own...and while it still isn't perfect, I'm happy with it and you've helped so, so much. <3


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